WWE RAW
Episode 1303
#RAW
Original Air Date: May 14, 2018
Event Date: May 14, 2018 (aired live)
City: London, England, UK
Venue: The 02 Arena
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Jojo
Video
Clips from the red carpet at Radio City Music Hall show Nia Jax challenging Ronda Rousey.
Ring Area
Roman Reigns heads to the ring. Reigns says he got robbed by Jinder Mahal last week. Reigns calls Jinder to the ring. Instead, Kurt Angle comes out and heads to the ring.
Angle says Jinder will not be coming out. Angle says he was wrong to prevent Jinder from getting a Money in the Bank qualifying match. Tonight, Mahal will get his chance in a triple threat match. Reigns says that’s perfect, just add Reigns to the match so he can beat Jinder. Angle says management has made it clear that Reigns will get no more opportunities.
Reigns understands that Angle is just doing what he has to do in order to keep his job. Reigns says it’s now time for him to do what he has to do. Reigns drops the mic and heads to the back.
Backstage
Reigns looks for Jinder Mahal in the back. He finds him. Jinder throws Sunil Singh at Reigns which starts a brawl. Reigns gets the better of Mahal and rolls a cart into Mahal’s legs.
Ring Area
Mahal stumbles out to the stage. Reigns closes in before Jamie Noble, Adam Pearce, Kurt Angle, and some referees stop him. Mahal escapes while Reigns heads to the back.
Match 1
Intercontinental Title Match
Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins (IC Champ)
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Seth Rollins wins via pinfall after a curb stomp
Time: 11:23 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. As usual, Rollins makes a bid to steal the show. I liked how both guys were countering each other’s moves. It forced them both to come up with a few unique variations on their signature moves. The match had a good flow to it as well. It built up to a believable finish that worked well and didn’t make either guy look weaker than the other.
Video
From Radio City Music Hall in New York, Cathy Kelley was interviewing Ronda Rousey and Charlotte when Nia Jax walked up. Jax wondered if Rousey could be champ, so she challenged Rousey to a title match. Rousey hesitated, saying there are other women who deserve a shot before her. With Charlotte’s encouragement, Rousey eventually accepts. They’ll face each other at Money in the Bank.
Backstage
Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel walk up to Kurt Angle and say they want a tag title match. They also want to be called The A-Team. Angle points out the inherent copyright issues, and he also says they’ve never won a tag match on RAW. Dallas and Axel (calling themselves The B-Team) persist. Angle tells them he’ll put them in a match tonight if they just leave him alone for the rest of the night.
Match 2
Triple Threat Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
No Way Jose vs Baron Corbin vs Bobby Roode
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: Bobby Roode pins No Way Jose after a Glorious DDT
Time: 7:38 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. It took a little while to get going, but I liked it once all three guy got in the ring at the same time towards the end.
Backstage
Kevin Owens tells Angle that he wants an IC Title rematch. If he doesn’t get one, he’s going to call Stephanie McMahon. Angle is tired of the threats, but Owens says it’s not a threat.
Angle walks into the trainer’s room to find Jinder Mahal being attended to. Mahal wants Angle to cancel his match tonight, but Angle refuses.
Match 3
Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel vs Breezango
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Bo Dallas pins Fandango after a tandem belly-to-back suplex and neckbreaker
Time: 3:44
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was a little silly, but not goofy. I’d like to see both of these teams do well, so hopefully this match leads to more.
Ring Area
Charly Caruso congratulates Dallas and Axel on their victory. The B-Team are excited, and they are coming for the RAW Tag Team Titles.
Match 4
Sasha Banks & Natalya & Ember Moon vs Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan & Ruby Riott
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Natalya forces Liv Morgan to submit to a Sharpshooter
Time: 7:48 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. After the opening segment, Riott Squad showed their great teamwork by isolating Sasha Banks for a significant portion of the match. Sasha eventually fought her way to the corner and made a tag which led to a fun and chaotic finish. There were some tough-looking shots in this match, and everyone looked good.
Video
Drew McIntyre says the WWE locker room is soft. Dolph Ziggler says Finn Balor and Braun Strowman have succeeded because of shortcuts. McIntyre and Ziggler aren’t here to take food off anyone’s table, they’re here to flip the table over.
Match 5
The Revival vs Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt (RAW Tag Champs)
(referee: Rod Zapata; watching in the back: The B-Team)
Result: Matt Hardy pins Scott Dawson after the Kiss of Deletion
Time: 4:46
Match Thoughts
This looked like it was heading towards a squash until The Revival extended the match by showing some great teamwork. It was brief, but maybe it’s something for them to build on. Tonight though, the end result was hardly a surprise. Still, that match was fine.
Backstage
Bayley walks towards the ring when she encounters Sasha Banks. Banks wishes Bayley luck, and Bayley smiles.
Ring Area
Sami Zayn is in the ring. Sami points out that Prince Harry looks a lot like him. Zayn also says Prince Harry is a fan of his, unlike Bobby Lashley. Lashley returned to RAW a few weeks ago and tried to make a statement at Zayn’s expense. After Lashley’s attack, Zayn contracted the first case of vertigo ever in the WWE. Zayn does not think that’s funny, and neither does his doctor. Zayn has a note, and he decides to read it. Zayn blames vertigo for all of his recent losses. Therefore, he blames Lashley, and he also blames the fans for cheering Lashley.
Zayn plays a clip from Lashley’s sit-down interview with Renee Young. Zayn understood Lashley after watching the video: Lashley wants to be Zayn. He was even wearing Zayn’s hat. Lashley also has something to hide. Zayn contacted Lashley’s sisters via Facebook, and they told Zayn that Lashley isn’t the person he portrays himself to be. Zayn says he has invited Lashley’s sisters to RAW next week, and together they will expose the real Bobby Lashley.
Match 6
Triple Threat Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Alexa Bliss vs Mickie James vs Bayley
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Alexa Bliss pins Bayley after a DDT
Time: 6:04 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It seemed to slow down in the middle, but that might have had a lot to do with the unresponsive (and easily distracted) crowd. I think the match was fine, and the bit with Mickie and Alexa sort of working together but not really was alright. I think it could have been better though.
Backstage
Jinder Mahal gets cleared to compete, but he is in a lot of pain. He tries to walk to the ring area when he is blindsided by Roman Reigns. Reigns spears Mahal through a wall that is clearly fake.
Backstage
Sunil Singh tells Angle that the triple threat match can’t happen, but Angle says the match will go on. Angle goes of to search for a replacement.
Match 7
Finn Balor & Braun Strowman vs Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Dolph Ziggler pins Finn Balor after knocking Balor off the top rope
Time: 8:23 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. They kept McIntyre and Strowman away from each other for the most part, and really, Strowman was kept out of most of the match. That was probably for the best, since that let Balor be in the ring most of the time. He and Ziggler looked good together, and the tease of McIntyre in there was fun.
Backstage
Angle talks on the phone to Stephanie McMahon. Angle has a replacement for Mahal in the next match, but Stephanie seems to have a different idea.
Match 8
Triple Threat Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Elias vs Kevin Owens vs Bobby Lashley
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Kevin Owens pins Elias after a frog splash
Time: 9:28 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was a fine triple threat, and I particularly liked the ending. Mostly because of the result.
Show Impressions
This was another show with a lot of matches, and I thought it was fine. The Reigns/Mahal thing doesn’t interest me, but most of the other stuff I’m pretty on board with.
Match of the Night
Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens
Once again, Rollins is in the best match of the night. It’s almost unfair at this point.